Japan, skating in the same line-up as in Obihiro last week, took on the Netherlands in the final pairing and they stopped the clock at 3 minutes and 2.37 seconds. Canada, who had come fourth in Obihiro, took silver in 3:05.95. Russia took bronze again in 3:06.69.
Nao Kodaira (JPN) took her 18th 500m World Cup gold medal leaving her closest rival almost half a second behind. Vanessa Herzog took her third silver behind the Japanese Empress. Daria Kachanova (RUS), ended up taking the bronze. On Saturday, Nao Kodaira (JPN) was not as fast as she had been on Friday, but 38.26 seconds was more than enough to secure her second 500m win of the weekend. Vanesse Herzog (AUT) took her fourth consecutive silver medal in 38.56, while Brittany Bowe (USA) took her second bronze medal of the day. Nao Kodaira (JPN) took her third gold medal of the weekend with a track record time of 1 minute and 17.31 seconds in the ladies' 1000m on Saturday. Brittany Bowe (USA) came second and Vanesse Herzog (AUT) ran away with the bronze medal.
In the Team Pursuit, Olympic Champions Norway were eying revenge for last week's defeat at the hands of Russia and the Netherlands. The Dutch had replaced youngster Chris Huizinga by the also still only 22-year-old World Allround Champion Patrick Roest. The replacement payed off. With Roest as their main engine, Marcel Bosker and Douwe de Vries set faster split times than Norway and Japan throughout the race to take gold in 3:45.87. Norway and Japan had to settle for silver and bronze respectively.
After taking his first World Cup medal coming third in last week's first 500m Tatsuya Shinhama (JPN) clinched his maiden World Cup victory. Behind Shinhama his compatriot Yuma Murakami took silver in 35.53, while World Champion Jan Smeekens (NED) grabbed the bronze medal in 35.58. Tatsuya Shinhama (JPN) struck again in the Men's 500m on Saturday and crushed the track record once more. With 35.20 seconds, he was 0.24 seconds faster than Viktor Mushtakov (RUS), who took silver. Yuma Murakami (JPN) clinched Saturday's bronze after his silver medal in the first 500m run in Tomakomai.
Kjeld Nuis, Patrick Roest and Thomas Krol swept the podium in Men’s 1500m. After that, the Dutch man went home with all silverware in the 1000m on Sunday too. Kjeld Nuis (NED) clinched the gold again and Thomas Krol (NED) collected another bronze, but the middle man was different. In the 1500m World Allround Champion Patrick Roest (NED) had joined Nuis and Krol on the podium, and in the 1000m it was 2017 World Sprint Champion Kai Verbij (NED) to take the honor.
Kjeld Nuis (NED) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)
Vitaly Mikhailov (BLR) surprised everyone to take his first World Cup in the Mass Start gold. Cheonho Um (KOR) beat Bart Swings (BEL) in the silver medal sprint to take the lead.
Ireen Wüst (NED) captured her career 22nd 1500m World Cup win in Tomakomai. Miho Takagi (JPN), who was unbeaten in five World Cup 1500m races last season but came second last week in Obihiro, had to settle for silver again. Last week's winner Brittany Bowe (USA) took the bronze medal.
In the Ladies’ Mass Start, BoReum Kim (KOR) came from behind Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) to edge her out on the line and take the gold medal. Lollobrigida got silver and Ivanie Blondin (CAN) came third.
Isabelle Weidemann (CAN) surprised the ladies' endurance field on Sunday. The 23-year-old Canadian clinched her career first individual World Cup medal, winning the 3000m in Tomakomai. Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) clocked the second best time in 4:13.47 before Martina Sáblíková (CZE) defied the wind and skated 4:13.00. and pushed Lollobrigida to third place.
In the Ladies’ Team Sprint, the Dutch ladies took gold, Italy silver and Canada clinched the bronze medal.
Sverre Lunde Pedersen (NOR), Bart Swings (BEL) and Patrick Roest (NED) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)
Bart Swings (BEL) became the second Belgian to win a 5000m World Cup gold medal after Dutch Belgian Bart Veldkamp in 1999. Sverre Lunde Pedersen (NOR) edge out Patrick Roest (NED) for silver.
The Netherlands seemed on course for their second team sprint win of the season when Kjeld Nuis entered the final lap on gold medal pace, but the Dutchman could not match the last lap of youngster Viktor Mushtakov and Russia ran away with victory. Canada took bronze.
